Lead: Laura Geronimo
Counselors: Clint Andrews, Bob Kopp, Will Payne

This research project, led by Laura Geronimo, focuses on Ortley Beach, New Jersey, and draws on over 30 interviews with federal, state, and local stakeholders to understand experiences with Superstorm Sandy recovery and preferences for future flood-mitigation investments. It examines how these preferences are shaped by values, worldviews, and beliefs about climate change, revealing sharp contrasts. Local officials often prioritize rebuilding and protecting high-value properties to maintain tax bases, reflecting individualistic–hierarchical worldviews and skepticism toward climate science, while state and federal actors and more egalitarian residents favor long-term strategies like property buyouts to reduce risk. Using these insights, the research develops and evaluates alternative response pathways that account for cultural and institutional drivers of repetitive flood losses, recommending approaches that enhance financial resilience and integrate risk-based planning to better align federal funding with local needs and climate realities.

Disclaimer: This project has been completed, and the lead is now a MACH alumn.  No further updates are expected for this project.